Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Anson had never been so relieved as when Alice agreed to stay at Caldwell’s place. It still wasn’t his house, but she’d be close by. And he could hopefully keep an eye on her. Make sure she was all right. That she was safe.
They drove up the mountain and he cleared his throat. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he think of something to say?
Was he nervous?
He was never fucking nervous.
Why wasn’t she saying anything? He was the strong, silent type and she was the one who was chatty. Then he noticed that she had her fingers pressed tightly together. The skin of her knuckles was white.
Shit.
He wasn’t the only one who was nervous. He might not even be the most nervous person in this truck.
“Baby, why are you so quiet?”
“What?” she asked, jumping slightly as she turned to him.
“You’re nervous.”
“Sorry.”
“What did I say about saying sorry?” he growled. Shit. He didn’t mean to sound so grouchy.
Unfortunately, it had slipped out that way, though.
Fuck him. Change was hard.
“Sorry,” he said.
She started to giggle and he turned to her in shock before turning back to the road.
Precious cargo and he had to be careful. He would never risk her. He wasn’t like fucking Tommy, who had been all too happy to pick him while he was high on drugs.
Fucking Tommy who had walked away while Anson’s life was left in tatters.
But, then again, maybe not.
Tommy was in jail. And perhaps this was Anson’s second chance. A way to get his life back on track but for other reasons.
Maybe the universe had always had a different path for him . . . being this girl’s man, her protector, her lover, her champion.
Her Daddy.
“Why are you giggling?” he asked, even though he never wanted her to stop. Her giggle lit him up from the inside out.
“Because you made it a rule that I’m not allowed to apologize. And you just growled at me for apologizing and followed it up with an apology.”
He snorted. “Change is hard, okay? I’ve only been trying to be a better person for a day. I’m gonna fail lots so I will probably apologize a lot.”
“Well, I don’t think that you should be allowed to apologize for things that aren’t your fault when I’m not. And why are you trying to change?”
Well, he’d thought that would be obvious.
“Because I’m a fucking asshole.”
“You’re not.”
“Baby. No lying, remember? I am a fucking asshole.”
“I don’t want you to change, though. I mean, not too much. The jumping to conclusions and finding ways to push me away, that part you can change.”
“What about the grumpiness? The bossiness?”
“That’s just part of who you are,” she whispered. “And I don’t always like those parts, but I do like you.”
He wanted her to do more than like him.
“You really don’t want me to change?” he asked, surprised.
“I want you to talk to me before you decide that I’ve betrayed you. I don’t want you to change who you are for me. No meaningless apologies for either of us, okay?”
“You got it, baby,” he said as he pulled into Caldwell’s driveway. It was growing dark and he hated the idea of leaving her here at night.
You cannot force her to go home with you.
It was going to be fucking hard, though.
She glanced around. “This is cute. Not as nice as yours, but still cute.”
Definitely not as nice as his. Not as big, either.
“Well, thank you for giving me a ride,” she said, turning to him as Joey bounded up to the front door with her suitcase in his hand. Then he turned and waved at them.
“He’s so lovely,” she said.
“He’s crazy,” Anson replied. “Miles, Lochlan, and me have always watched out for him. Not everyone understands him. We didn’t understand him, not until Lochlan got involved in BDSM and pulled us into that world.”
She nodded with a pensive look on her face that made his stomach tighten.
“Have you ever had a Daddy? Had someone look after your Little?” he asked in concern.
“We shouldn’t leave Joey out in the cold,” she said.
It was clear she wasn’t ready to talk about her Little. And as much as it pained him, he would have to accept that. So he swallowed the urge to demand that she reply.
“Where is the key?” he asked.
“Under a fake rock by the stairs,” she replied.
“Fucking Caldwell,” he muttered. “Like that’s safe. It also explains why you were on your hands and knees looking under my house that first night.”
“Um. Yeah.”
He grabbed out his phone and texted the information to Joey who grabbed his phone out, then waved.
“Joey will find it. You don’t have to tell me whether you’ve had a Daddy before, but if you ever do want to, I’m here. I know I haven’t been a good listener up to now, but I want to hear what you have to say.”
Alice snuck him a look, then glanced away. “No, I’ve never had a Daddy before. And I’ve only told one person other than you. That did not go well.” She reached for the door handle.
“Freeze,” he barked
Shit.
She froze.
He hoped that she really had been telling the truth when she said she didn’t want him to change his bossy tendencies.
“Wait until I come around and open the door for you.”
Alice looked pained.
And he suddenly realized why. “I’m a grown man, baby. And a proud one.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“So you’ve got to trust that I know my limits.”
She raised her eyebrows as he became aware of Joey leaving the house and bounding back to her vehicle to grab another bag out.
Anson got out of his truck and walked around to her side.
Caldwell could have damn well cleared the driveway.
The snow was compacted down, making it more slippery but he moved slowly and carefully around to open her door.
As he opened her door, he saw the worried look on her face before she quickly wiped it clean. He held out his hand to her and she slid her far smaller hand into his.
He squeezed it tight as she climbed out of the truck.
They started to walk up the stairs when Joey bounded back out with a frown.
“Anson, there’s a problem.”
“What is it?” he asked at the top of the stairs. He was trying to hide the fact that his thigh was burning with pain from having climbed so many stairs today.
“There’s no firewood and it’s freezing as fuck in there. Sorry about the language, Alice,” Joey told her with a grimace.
She waved her hand through the air. “Don’t worry about it.”
Anson limped through the door. The place had a slightly musty smell to it and was definitely cold.
“Oh, Mr. Caldwell said that he would light the fire for my arrival, but I am a week late,” she said with a grin. “I guess we can’t expect him to keep it going. Although he also said that there would be . . .” she trailed off.
“Be what?” Anson asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Alice, tell me what else he promised you,” he demanded.
Joey whistled and rocked back and forth on his heels. “I’d tell him, Alice. You do not want to see what happens when you disobey his ‘I will be obeyed’ voice.”
“No?” Alice asked with clear amusement in her voice. “What happens?”
“I’m not sure,” he whispered. “I’ve never gone against that voice. But I’m fairly certain you get spanked.”
Dear Lord.
Did his own brother really just say that?
“Really?” he asked Joey. “You’ve never gone against that voice?”
Joey put his hand on his chest. “Not me. I swear. I’m a good boy.”
“You’re a pain in the ass,” Anson muttered.
“And he’s gonna be a pain in your ass, Alice, if you don’t answer him.” Joey winked at Alice.
For fuck’s sake.
Why had he asked Joey to drive her vehicle up? He should have asked Miles. Miles was more like him. Quiet and he minded his own damned business.
“It really isn’t important,” she told them both.
Anson just gave her a stern look.
She sighed. “A Christmas tree. He told me that there would be a Christmas tree and some decorations. But that doesn’t matter. Hardly life or death, right? I’ve brought a few with me, anyway.”
Alice stepped further into the room and Joey shot him a look that clearly told him to fix this. To make her smile again.
Anson got it. There was nothing more he would like to do than fix this. But he wasn’t entirely sure how.
You could get her a Christmas tree.
“You said there’s no firewood?” Anson asked. “And why isn’t the heat on?”
“No, not that I can find. I did find a thermostat and I’ve turned the heat on. There’s a locked shed out the back. That might be where the firewood is.”
Anson grunted. “Go back to my place in my truck and get some wood, will you?”
“Sure thing,” Joey said, catching the keys that Anson threw at him. “Ooh, can’t believe I get to finally drive your truck. Like a big boy.”
Lord. Anson glared at him and he grinned back unrepentantly.
“You’ve driven my truck before.”
“Only on special occasions. Like my birthday. Or when I sneak the keys and take it for a joy ride.”
“You better not fucking do that.”
With Joey it was hard to tell when he was joking and when he was telling the truth.
“That’s okay,” Alice said hastily as she gave them both worried looks. “I can contact Mr. Caldwell and ask him about the firewood. I’m sure the heat will kick in soon.”
Anson turned that look on Alice. “No. I’ll call Caldwell. But in the meantime, you need this place warm. You can’t stay in an icebox.”
He noticed that Joey had already left. Probably wise, but he was also grateful to his brother for all his help.
Fuck.
He’d probably never told him that before. How thankful he was. He should do that.
“Why don’t you go and unpack your stuff,” he told Alice gruffly. “Joey would have put your luggage in the main bedroom.”
“All right.” She looked a bit unsure as she stared around but she moved further into the cabin, disappearing down the hall.
Fucking hell. There should be firewood stacked up inside the house and she’d messaged Caldwell before coming up here to let him know. He’d had time to light the fire and turn on the heat.
Lazy fucker.
He walked into the cabin and over to the kitchen. He should make sure all the appliances were on. Caldwell might turn them off at the wall. Then something else occurred to him and he messaged Joey.
Anson:
Grab her some food.